“Whatever we choose, it’s going to be for a long time,” said Yvonne O’Donnell, the city council's environmental health manager. “We have a duty, not just for the safety of the community, but also the image of the city.”

Other suggestions, including a red stripe, and Cambridge blue and green, were met with criticism and concerns the designs might be too indistinct. Fully Cambridge blue taxis were deemed to be too similar to a livery already being used by a commercial taxi operator.

Taxi liveries could save lives

Cllr Jeremy Benstead said the new livery had to be distinctive so passengers could easily distinguish licensed city cabs.

He cited the 2005 killing of Cambridge student Sally Geeson as an example of how clearly identifiable liveries could potentially save lives.

Miss Geeson was picked up by a soldier who had been posing as a taxi driver.

Sally Geeson was murdered after being picked up by a soldier posing as a taxi driver. Picture: Family Handout/PA

Cllr Benstead also wanted to make sure the design would be discernible to anyone emerging from city pubs in potentially poor lighting.

“My problem is whether it will be visible in poor light,” said Cllr Benstead. “Will drunks be able to differentiate between one of our licensed hackney vehicles that are properly insured from an out-of-towner from 20 miles away, or even further?”

Andy Vines, chairman of Cambridge City Licensed Taxis (CCLT) said drivers welcomed the new livery.

He said silver was a cheap colour for them to implement as it was provided as a standard base colour by most manufacturers, and said getting a stripe on the side would be cheaper than paying for a “wrap” that covered the whole vehicle.

Cllr Gerri Bird, chairwoman of the committee, said the new colour scheme will be required of each vehicle when the license came up for renewal. She said it could take up to nine years for all 321 hackney carriages in Cambridge’s fleet to adopt the new colours.

In October, councillors will decide which colour stripe should be included in the colour scheme to go with the already agreed silver.